Students at TU Delft have developed a robotic suit that enables a spinal cord injury patient to walk again. In an earlier example, the patient still required crutches for balance, but that is no longer necessary.
The students call the exoskeleton MARCH VIII.
While walking, a kind of noise arose earlier in the ‘pilot’s’ brain. The students have now succeeded in suppressing that noise. For example, the driver can make the robot suit stop just by thinking about it.
In earlier costumes it was also necessary to use crutches for balance. With the VIII of MARCH that is no longer necessary. The spinal cord injury patient can now, for example, hold his girlfriend’s hand, drink coffee, or throw a ball at his dog.
New sensors have also been added to the suit. As a result, the patient’s gait and posture are “smoother, more natural, and more comfortable.” In addition, the robot suit can better feel contact with the ground while walking.
Wat is een dwarslaesie?
Bij een dwarslaesie is het ruggenmerg beschadigd. Daardoor kunnen signalen vanuit de hersenen niet meer alle delen van het lichaam bereiken. Patiënten kunnen dan bijvoorbeeld hun benen niet meer voelen en bewegen.
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24 mei 2023 om 17:20
Eerste dwarslaesiepatiënt kan benen bewegen met hersenen dankzij implantaten
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